Security device

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for inhibiting the theft of an electronic device includes a processor unit and a display device for displaying operational output from the processor. A receiver unit is included within the electronic device and is adapted to receive remotely transmitted signals that are capable of causing the processor unit to at least partially obscure or change the output on the display device after such signal has been received. The electronic device can be any device that produces a visible output. The obscuring of the display output is by overprinting a message informing you that the device is stolen, and more preferred versions include a unique identification code in that message. This enables the authorities to identify the true owner of the article. The receiver can be a receiver of a radio pager. Upon noticing the theft of the device the owner alerts a service provider who activates the receiver unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a security device, especially oneintended for use in protecting electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Computers are used routinely in a very large number of businesses andhomes. The decrease in the cost of computing power has fueled thisexpansion, and at the same time advances in micro electronics have meantthat the physical size and weight of a powerful computer has decreasedto the point where even a desk top computer can be carried relativelyeasily.

This has meant that the theft of personal computers, in particularlaptop computers, has become extremely easy and is now a seriousproblem. It is estimated that one quarter of all commercial computerusers in the United Kingdom have been burgled or robbed of at least someof their computer stock. The value of this equipment stolen in 1994 wasover .English Pound.100 million. One dealer has estimated that 35% ofhis customers have been robbed; 25% of those have been robbed more thanonce, some as many as six or seven times.

The ease with which such thefts can be executed is illustrated by oneexample in which thieves entered the premises of a company at 9.57 pmand, in the following four minutes before the arrival of the policestole, .English Pound.15,000 worth of equipment.

Once a computer is stolen, the hard disk can be reformatted and thecomputer can then be sold easily. It is estimated that one particularcase reaped .English Pound.3 million for the burglar.

Insurance companies who provide insurance against computer burglary nowfind that computer theft is dominating their time and causing severelosses. Often, insurance premiums increase significantly after a thefthas taken place, or insurance is refused altogether. Insurers may ofteninsist on improving security at business premises; the cost of this canbe as much as .English Pound.6,000.

Methods exist to protect computers against theft. These include physicalmeans such as attaching security tags firmly to the computers ordefacing the exterior surface of the computer to dissuade potentialpurchasers of the stolen goods. Both of these are unsightly and theformer is liable to invite damage of the computer by the thief in anattempt to remove it.

Computers can be provided with password locks, which ensure that thecomputer will not operate until the correct password is entered. Howeverre-formatting of the hard disk is usually possible and this will eraseall software present, including the password lock.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,414 discloses a system whereby the peripheraldevices (e.g. the display unit and keyboard) are disabled for apredetermined period of time if an incorrect password is entered.However, this is a software-based system and therefore inherentlyvulnerable.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,524 discloses a computer with an additionalmicroprocessor which must be present in order to allow the system tooperate. The contents of the microprocessor are said to be non-copyable.If the microprocessor is removed, then the computer will not operate.However, should the system be stolen, the thieves will presumably alsotake the microprocessor.

There therefore exists a need for a means for dissuading or preventingtheft of computers and the like, at a cost which is ideally less thanthe cost of insuring the equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore provides an electronic device comprisinga processor unit and a display device for displaying operational outputfrom the processor unit;

the device including a receiver unit adapted to receive remotelytransmitted signals and capable of causing the processor unit to atleast partially obscure or change the output on the display device aftersuch a signal has been received.

Preferably, the obscuring is by overprinting a message on top of thenormal operational output. It may, of course be by replacing thatordinary operational output with a message, or the like.

Preferably, the receiver unit also causes the display of anidentification code stored in the receiver unit. This will preferably beunique to that piece of equipment and will enable identification of thetrue owner.

Preferably, the receiver unit includes a power source distinct from thatof the processor unit to enable continuous monitoring for incomingsignals.

Those types of equipment which include a screen display can operate byobscuring the normal display of that screen. Those items of equipmentwhich produce output in printed form can operate by superimposing amessage on a printed output, or by replacing the output with themessage. For example the electronic device can include computers,televisions, facsimile machines, photocopiers, video recorders, visualprojection systems, or printers or any device capable of the above.

The receiver unit and remotely transmitted signals can be implemented byusing similar technology to that employed by radio paging systems. Thisis an established remote signalling system in which a telephone call tothe correct number (placed anywhere in the country) causes a signal tobe sent to a portable receiver unit which is then activated. Suchtechnology is well known and would need only simple modification to suitthe present invention.

The present invention also relates to an upgrade kit, especially forinstallation in computers, which comprises the receiver device asdefined above in conjunction with means for connecting the receiver unitwith the remainder of the electronic device.

The present invention also relates to a method of decreasing the valueof a stolen electronic device, comprising the steps of providing withinthe device prior to theft thereof, a receiver unit for receivingremotely transmitted signals, the receiver unit being adapted to obscureor change the visual output of the electronic device on being activatedby a remotely transmitted signal;

wherein on loss or theft of the device, a signal is sent to the receiverunit to activate it.

Finally, the method the present invention relates to a method ofinhibiting the theft of an electronic device, comprising the steps ofproviding within the device a receiver unit for receiving remotelytransmitted signals, the receiver unit being adapted to obscure orchange the visual output of the electronic device on being activated bya remotely transmitted signal; and

providing on the device or in the vicinity of the device visible indiciaindicating the presence within the device of the receiver unit.

These methods can be applied to, for example, the above-describedelectronic devices in the manner described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a computer incorporating the system;

FIG. 2 is a view of a screen of a computer prior to activation of thesystem;

FIG. 3 is a view of a screen of a computer after activation of thesystem;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the steps in the system;

FIG. 5 shows the internal operation of the system in more detail.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an otherwise conventional personal computer 10 having anadditional card 12 fitted to its mother board. That mother boardcomprises a receiver unit generally similar to that employed in a radiopaging device. That is to say, it is adapted to listen on a particularradio frequency for signals sent by a central transmitter, and onreceiving a signal identifies whether the signal contains a code uniqueto that receiver unit. If so, the output of the receiver unit isactivated.

Also present on the card 12 is a rechargeable battery independent of themain power source of the personal computer but adapted to rechargeitself therefrom. Thus, the receiver unit of card 12 is able to listenon its allocated frequency continuously.

Also present on the card 12 is a signal processor for handling thesignal produced by the PC 10 for onward transmission to a display unit14. When an activation signal is received by the signal processor fromthe receiver unit, the signal processor from then onwards until resetsuperimposes on the normal output of the PC 10 a predetermined message.That message is, in this embodiment, large enough and prominent enoughto obscure most of the normal output of PC 10.

FIG. 2 shows the normal output of a personal computer. This PC isrunning under the Windows™ operating system and therefore is dependenton a graphical output for its operation. Windows™ is a Trade Mark ofMicrosoft Corporation.

FIG. 3 shows the same screen immediately after activation of the card12. A message is clearly and prominently displayed on top of the normaloutput shown in FIG. 2 and it is clear that the operation of thiscomputer is significantly inhibited. Its value as a second-hand sale istherefore very low.

The displayed message also includes a code number 16 in the corner ofthe screen. That code number is unique to the signal processor withinthe card 12 and therefore should the computer 10 be retrieved by thepolice then this number can be used to identify the true owner.

FIG. 4 shows the steps in the operation of the system. A customerpurchases a computer 10, in this case a laptop, which is fitted with thesystem according to the invention, here designated by the Trade MarkACCUPAGE. The customer contacts the system provider who arranges anairtime subscription to a paging service sub-let from the relevanttelecommunications provider, in this case British Telecom. Then anidentification file is created for that customer and an identificationnumber 16 stored in that computer is logged.

It is of course to be hoped that this particular customer never proceedsfurther along this flow chart. However, should the computer be stolen(box 18), then the customer can call the service provider and identifytheir stock that has been stolen. The service provider then identifies(from the identification file previously created) the electronicaddresses of the receiver units within the stolen computer 10, and sendsa signal to activate those receiver units. This is then received by thereceiver units, and the message appears on the screen, step 20. Thethief is then likely to abandon the stock, whereupon it should fall intothe hands of the police who can use the identification code 16 to returnthe equipment to its rightful owner.

FIG. 5 shows some of the internal construction of the card 12. It can beseen that a receiver unit 22 provides a received signal to a decoder 24which considers the signal and if appropriate to that computer 10triggers the superimposition of a message by the signal processor 26.

It will be appreciated that the above described example is by way ofillustration only and many variations are possible whilst remainingwithin the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An anti-theft apparatus for disabling, inresponse to an externally specified status encoded on a broadcast statussignal, a system havinga first input, a processor unit in communicationwith said first input, said processor unit generating a first output onthe basis of said first input, and a display unit in communication withsaid processor unit for display of said first output,said anti-theftapparatus comprising: a second input operating independently of saidfirst input, said second input receiving said broadcast status signal; adecoder in communication with said second input, said decoder configuredto identify said externally specified status encoded on said broadcaststatus signal; and a signal processor in communication with said decoderand with said display unit, said signal processor obscuring said firstoutput with a second output in response to said externally specifiedstatus identified by said decoder, thereby disabling said system.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal processor overprints said firstoutput with said second output in response to said externally specifiedstatus identified by said decoder.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising, in communication with said signal processor, means forstoring an identification code to be included in said second output. 4.The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said identification code is selected touniquely identify said apparatus.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a second power source for powering said apparatus, saidsecond power source being separate from a first power source forpowering said system.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising avisible indicator of the presence of said anti-theft device in saidsystem.
 7. A method for disabling, in response to an externallyspecified status encoded on a broadcast status signal, a system havingafirst input, a processor unit in communication with said first input andgenerating a first output on the basis of said first input, and adisplay unit in communication with said processor unit for display ofsaid first output,said method comprising the steps of: receiving saidbroadcast status signal on a second input operating independently ofsaid first input; identifying said externally specified status encodedon said broadcast status signal; and on the basis of said externallyspecified status, obscuring said first output on said display unit,thereby disabling said system.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein saidstep of obscuring said first output comprises the steps ofgenerating asecond output in response to said broadcast status signal, and obscuringsaid first output with said second output.
 9. The method of claim 8wherein said step of generating said second output comprises the step ofproviding an identification code to be included in said second output.10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of providing anidentification code comprises the step of selecting said identificationcode to uniquely identify said system.
 11. The method of claim 7 furthercomprising the step of providing a second power source operatingindependently of a first power source for powering said system.
 12. Themethod of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing a visibleindicator of the association of an anti-theft apparatus with saidsystem.